Understanding and Responding to the Stirring Ache of a Restless Spirit
Several times in life, I’ve diagnosed myself as having a restless spirit. I’ve often thought it indicative of a compulsion to do something creative. Other times, I’ve felt it as an awareness that mighty life changes are afoot. Sometimes, I’ve found...
Our Messed Up World and That Time Jesus Came to an Anxious, Waiting World
Lost in the demands to “keep Christ in Christmas” and the requests to “remember the reason for the season” is a broader purpose: hope for a messed up world. You see, the Old Testament ends with a prophesy through Malachi. He was one of several prophets who tried...
Improve Yourself by Stealing Like an Artist
Improve yourself. That mandate was calling me out sometime after registering 1Glories.com on a divinely inspired whim. I realized with remorse that I had allowed myself to indulge and delight in the pursuit of temporal pleasures of the world. Those things that I came...
Aligning with God’s Ways – Manton’s 27th Sermon on Psalm 119 – Part 3
God’s ways are called many things; mysterious, unpredictable, wise, just to name a few. One phrase often said in relation is “God’s ways are not always our ways.” So much of this is true. God’s ways are mysterious. And they are unpredictable (to use at least)....
God Hears Us – Manton’s 27th Sermon on Psalm 119 – Part 2
Despite what may sometimes seem otherwise, God hears his people. Prayer is an important and intimate communion with God in which we take our praises and petitions while seeking forgiveness. It’s a moment to gain clarity of God’s signal in our lives of constant...
The Profound Connection Between Food, Communion, and Wellness
The funny thing about wellness is the fact that we all can agree that it’s good, but few of us can define it. Fewer still can say they have it. And, if we are being brutally honest, even fewer are willing to relentlessly pursue it. Even as I type this, I’m...
In a Spiritual Rut? Explore What Ignited You Before Your Zeal Went Stale
This resolution speaks directly to being in a spiritual rut. Further, it points to our recurring need for revival of personal dedication and zeal. While reflecting on Edwards 42nd resolution, my own testimony came to mind. Something else that stands out about this...
When Developing Character, Seek to Be a “Faithful Man to be Found”
At its core, the Year of Listening Up is about developing character. It’s an annual project that’s an outgrowth of a book I wrote for my daughters, largely centered on the same ambition. Since Edwards made developing character a primary goal of his life, it made great...
Authentic Love – Reckless? Inefficient? Messy? It’s Simply Love.
What does authentic love look like? It’s a question I’m often pondering. Never really landed on an answer, until now. You know it when I see it. Every now and then, God sends a perfect illustration. It’s sometimes like the missing puzzle piece that’s key...
The Torments of Hell and Can I Really Feel Your Personal Pain?
It’s unnatural to really feel the personal pain of someone else. You can sympathize, but really feeling the suffrage of another isn’t something we intuitively do. And why does it matter anyway? Well, for starters, it’s a way we can keep our own personal pain in...